How to start a compare and contrast essay

A compare and contrast essay is a type of essay that shows the similarities and dissimilarities between two or more subjects. It is perfect for representing subject by subject comparison by showing what separates and unites related things and concepts. Specifically, if the subjects are almost similar to each other or partially taken together.

Compare and contrast essays are almost similar to other types of essays. But also, they are different in many ways. And that is the key to comparing and contrasting. The reader properly understands each subject by seeing the dissimilarities and similarities, as they use the other subject as a frame of reference.

What Are The Academic Challenges In The UK?

There are a lot of challenges that students face in their academic life. This includes poor study habits, difficulty understanding the course material, test anxiety, etc. Along with all these challenges, students feel difficulty in academic writing such as essay writing.

When students start working, a simple question comes to their mind: how to start a compare and contrast essay in academic writing? Basically, compare & contrast review the topics from different angles. Essays that compare and contrast subjects look at subjects from several angles. This type of essay, which is frequently given in middle and high school, teaches students the analytical writing process and gets them ready for more difficult academic writing assignments.

Most students feel academic writing is difficult. Even I pay someone to write do essay because I’m too involved in other activities and unable to focus on assignments. Compare & contrast essays are not like eating cupcakes, it requires proper time, focus, and hard work.

Many Professional Essay Writers in the UK are available and are always ready to help students whenever they need. These writers have the expertise to write every type of essay. They are highly qualified and experienced in a particular subject matter. they help them to overcome this academic challenge.

The Writing Process Of Compare And Contrast Essay

Just like other essays, a compare and contrast essay follows some steps to write. In this blog post, you’ll learn how to start a compare and contrast essay in proper detail. So let’s start!

Select Your Subjects

In the initial step, you have to choose two or more ideas, thoughts, or subjects that have some similarities and differences. Pick up the topics that should be related to each other in some way is mandatory. Such as two different types of cars, two different political ideologies, or two different styles of music.

Brainstorming

Once you finalize your topic, select the session then go to brainstorm those similarities and differences. By doing this, you can organize your thoughts and ideas and build a clear and concise essay.

Make a Thesis Statement

After brainstorming the similarities and dissimilarities, you’ll start to understand the relationship between your subjects. This prewriting process will allow you to build your thesis statement and your topic sentences. A thesis statement will work as a road map for your essay.

Create a compare and contrast essay outline

You have to create an outline after spending time with the thesis statement. A good compare and contrast essay outline follows a typical essay format: Introductory paragraph, body paragraph, and conclusion. Be honest with your outline when you write it.

Write the introduction

A compare and contrast essay introduction provides background context and a thesis statement of what you are comparing and why. It sets the tone for your entire essay.

Write a first body paragraph

After writing a compare and contrast essay introduction, a body paragraph is written. In which you have to discuss the similarities and dissimilarities between two subjects. You need to start with a topic sentence that elaborates on one area of comparison between the first and second subjects.

Repeat the process for the next paragraphs

Usually, comparative essays take their subjects through different points of comparison. This is why, you need to plan on writing at least three body paragraphs that explain two subjects from different angles. Link all the compare and contrast paragraphs with transition words.

Write a conclusion: A good compare and contrast essay conclusion

A good compare and contrast essay conclusion requires a good conclusion. At this point, you will already have proven your thesis about how your subjects are similar or dissimilar.

A compare and contrast essay conclusion restates the thesis and looks at further potential questions for consideration. It is an opportunity to share your final thoughts and support the thesis of your paper. You don’t need to introduce the new information, just summarize the entire paper.

Proofread your writing

You are not done until and unless you carefully proofread your work and make a subject by subject comparison in the writing. You need to ensure all the subjects get equal space in the essay. You must understand clearly how the subjects are different or alike. And of course, check out the spelling, punctuation, and grammatical error.

The Purpose Of Compare/Contrast In Writing

Comparison is all about discussing similar elements, while contrast discusses elements that are different. A compare and contrast essay analyzes two subjects by comparing them, contrasting them, or maybe both.

Selecting two or more subjects connected in a meaningful way is the key to a good compare and contrast essay. The main purpose of conducting the comparison and contrast is to understand the differences or unexpected similarities. Suppose, for contrasting two subjects you’ll have to pick two types of oranges or apples, rather than choosing both. Showing differences between different elements in the same category will enhance the understanding of the audiences in that category. And this is the key purpose of compare and contrast essay.

In this way, for comparison, choose two unrelated subjects. Suppose, for comparison you need to choose both apples and oranges and compare how quite similar are they. The more conflicting the two subjects would be, the more interesting a comparison essay will be.

Ideal Compare And Contrast Essay Structure

The most challenging part of the compare and contrast essay structure is knowing the right time to talk about a particular subject. Basically, there are three options:

Block method (subject by subject)

This method is commonly divided into paragraphs. We discuss one subject in one paragraph. Then move to the next paragraph to discuss the new subject.
You can go back and forth for pages when you use the block method and cover as many topics as you want. This is the best approach for giving each subject proper attention but may weaken the connection between them.

Alternating method (point by point)

In this method, you can split the compare and contrast paragraph up by a specific topic and issue. And in each paragraph, discuss all the subjects. It means that you can discuss one subject’s take on a particular topic. Then another take instantly after that, followed by a new aspect. This is the best approach when you want to highlight the connection or a lack between your subjects.

Similarities and differences

This method is somehow similar to the alternating approach. We discuss each subject in the same paragraph. Such as we discuss all the similarities between the subjects in one paragraph, then all the similarities, or vice versa. Although, we don’t split the paragraphs by different topics.

This approach works best when your focus is on discussing a specific similarity or dissimilarity between the subjects. Or when you need to build up a strong conclusion.

A compare and contrast essay structure follows a simple compare and contrast essay format of beginning, middle, and end. Which includes the introduction, body, and conclusion.